Cutting edge insights on ministry, leadership, and practical theology

Post navigation

Friday Stream of Consciousness – 127

Congratulations to a Ohio State University for their defeat of the Ducks. You are the champions, my friend.

However, the third-string QB stud surprise reminds me a little of the Bledsoe-Brady lucky charm the Patriots found.

The war on terrorism continues. What a series of fearful tragedies the last couple of weeks have given us.

Do you have an early 2016 presidential race pick on both sides of the aisle? Who will we be choosing between in 2016? Clinton vs. Bush? Warren vs. Paul? I have no idea, to be honest with you…but I’d love to hear your picks.

The softball draft was Wednesday night—a night when we pick who we’ll spend the next 4 months of life with. I feel good about the team. But, it was interesting to see how seriously all the coaches took the draft. For some of us, it was like the NFL Draft. Then again, I guess that what makes the league as good as it is.

I don’t what is more dangerous–church members who thinks their pastor is dumb or a pastor who thinks their members are dumb. Forget the merits of the belief. I’m talking just about the implications of such beliefs on the church.

Ironically, the thoughts of malcontented church members and discouraged/frustrated pastors is are cousins. “They are out of touch,” and “They just don’t understand.”

As long as love abounds, leadership can navigate through such conundrums. “Communication” is never enough–especially if it isn’t rooted in love.

American Sniper comes out today. Only this movie and Unbroken have given me the, “Man, I want to go see that the day it comes out,” feeling.

I turn 40 later this year, and my ongoing fascination with riding a motorcycle has resurfaced with a vengeance. Is it mid-life, the awesomeness of riding a motorcycle, or both?

Going back to love, it’s what holds a church staff together as well.

Greatest food find of the week-a soup made for me by a church member that we also served to the homeless this past Christmas. It was so good, the shelter called us back and asked if we’d do it again. The secret ingredient—TriTip.

Heck, I’d put TriTip on my cereal if I could.

I’m in the home stretch of fighting off a murderous sinus infection and cold. The kind where you feel as though a heavy person is sitting on your head–which feels like a bowling ball filled with snot. My energy is coming back–and oh, how I missed it. I realized my life takes energy. I guess I knew that… but not to the extent a good bout with sickness can teach.

I’ll be teaching a class at the Pepperdine Bible Lectures entitled, Clinching the Thorn, on surviving the pains of ministry. It’ll be biographical, and full of stories of people (and churches) making it through many of the most difficult challenges in ministry. If you’re going, I hope you’ll attend. I also hope to have a preview chapter of a forthcoming book to share with those who attend the class.

If I could only pick one newspaper to read everyday, it would probably be USA Today. It’s a little more broad in it’s coverage, and it’s format has some color to it.

Just this morning, the Wall Street Journal reports church construction is down 80% since 2002, and is now at its lowest level since 2002. Yet, new churches are sprouting up more rapidly than ever–about 4,000 annually.

Also in the report, the churches who plant churches grow faster in both attendance and giving than other churches.

Also, new churches baptize new Christians at more than three times the rate of older churches.

The bulk of new churches today are also being started by individual churches rather than denominations.

To me, this is the key: “person to person growth is one major pattern for growing religious movements.”

The Padres secured the 2016 All-Star game. Who’s going to make sure he’s there? This guy!

Come on out, we’ll hang.

What’s on your mind this morning?

Related

Dr. Tim Spivey is Lead Planter of New Vintage Church in San Diego, California. He is the author of numerous articles and one book, "Jesus: The Powerful Servant." A sought after speaker for events, Tim also serves as Adjunct Professor of Religion at Pepperdine University. Tim serves as a church consultant, and his writings are featured on ChurchLeaders.com, Church Executive magazine, Faith Village, Sermon Central, and Giving Rocket.